7 of 14 Biblical Principles About Sport, Business and Life: Success and Excellence, Part I
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‘5 Anti Christian Philosophers Who Ruined America’
Radio and TV evangelist Adrian Rogers once gave a short radio presentation entitled ‘5 Philosophers that Ruined America’. Could be a good college lecture. I thought I would elaborate a bit on that topic to help explain the current downward trajectory of our country, culture and western civilization in general. These philosophers are George Hegel, Karl Marx, Ludwig Feuerbach, Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud.
George Hegel
George Hegel was a 17th and 18th century German philosopher who was militantly atheistic and anti-Christian. A precursor to Karl Marx, he promoted concepts that he hoped would ultimately lead to national and world dictatorship. Based on the sociological concepts of phenomenology and cultural relativity, the idea was to create conflict within the culture in order to bring about government control as its remedy - one of those being a specific oppostion to Christian religious values. State intervention would be necessary to resolve differences of religion, social mores, race, peace and war, ideologies, political groups, economic interests of workers and business owners. Conflict theory and critical race theory as taught in western university social and behavioral science classes have George Hegel’s dialectic as its foundation.
Karl Marx
Karl Marx restructured this dialectic referred to as a conflict of thesis and anti-thesis eventually leading through historical struggle to a synthesis of knowledge and perception. He focused on economic conflict between workers and owners of the means of production called dialectic materialism. Marx believed all of world history was a history of material want and class struggle between these groups. God and religion were in its way. He despised religion, especially Judaism and the Lutheran Church . The ‘opiate of the people’ was his mantra about religion.
The father of communism is a title often attributed to Karl Marx. Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto are among his most famous works. The socialist and communist revolution of the working class against the bourgeoisie [management and middle class] was the only way to cure the ills of a capitalist society, and religion supported capitalism. Both must go. These ideas were instrumental in bringing about the communist countries of The Soviet Union, Peoples Republic of China, Cuba, North Korea and Khmer Rouge dictatorship in Cambodia. All were responsible for the killing of millions.
Ludwig Feuerbach
Ludwig Feuerbach was yet another German atheistic philosopher extremely critical of Christianity. He maintained we didn’t need religion any longer and could develop humanistic and rational philosophies without it. With atheism Feuerbach believed we can help man reach his potential because our lives were developed as much as could be given the economic circumstances. Thus, we don’t really need God and the ‘God is Dead’ movement began. Technological control would surely lead us out of our dependence of a man made creation, religion and Christianity. An industrial revolution visionary.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin was Christian and had intentions of becoming an Anglican minister. His education at the University of Edinburgh and Cambridge influence him to take another direction as a geologist and biologist. Darwin’s famous Theory of Biological Evolution stated that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. However, he believed his evolutionary theory could be reconciled through Christianity as sort of synthesis. Maybe change Christianity to conform to his theory. Similarly suggested recently by Hillary Clinton: Christianity must conform to the times and our way of thinking. This is similar to the Catholic church’s conflict with the secular notion ‘liberation theology’, a neo-Marxist construct. Darwinian theory of evolution is in direct opposition to creationist theory of various Christian religions found within Protestantism. The theory of Evolution relegates humans as similar and even equal to the animal kingdom in most aspects of biology. Does the name PETA ring a bell? It is competition and survival of the fittest that motivates humans. In that same vein, and unlike Christianity and modern feminism, Darwin had a dim view of women as not equal to men in that evolution.
The principles established in Social Darwinism, a sociological construct, justify acts of racism and thoughts of ethnic superiority. Proponents argue certain human races and ethnic groups have desirable and strong traits. These groups dominate perceived weaker and flawed groups, and deserve dominion. In Europe, German leader Adolph Hitler used the theory of Social Darwinism to declare the Aryan race supreme and others, particularly Jews and other minorities, inferior.
Herbert Spencer, a 19th-century philosopher, receives credit for conceiving the theory of Social Darwinism. Spencer considered the government in Europe established by whites superior in technology, economy and structure to governments elsewhere in the world. Spencer stated natural selection played out in the military and economic dominance of European countries led by white rulers. The strong white race gained power while "inferior" races lagged behind. It justified colonialism and imperialism at the time, suggesting Asian, Black and Indigenous populations were not as capable as their European colonizers.
Sigmund Freud
Finally, we arrive at the infamous Sigmund Freud, an atheistic , anti- Christian philosopher, Jewish in name only. Freud not only hated Catholicism, he was extremely fearful of Rome itself, refusing to visit there. The spectre of Catholicism in Rome haunted him as a threat to his authoritarian mindset and beliefs. He hated when people disagreed with him. A native of Austria, Freud disavowed any spirituality and focused on the physical aspects, especially sexual motivations, the mind, biology and behavior. Called the father of modern psychology, he coined phrases such as id and ego, conscious and subconscious, reality principle, and various defense mechanisms supporting sexual motivations. Essentially man was motivated by biological impulses of sex and aggression and any spirituality assigned to humans were limiting of freedom. Only by unleashing rather than repressing sexuality, as he believed religion did, could man realize his true self. He had to be released from the constraints of family and society which was too burdened by a Christian culture. The anti Christian values of the free sex movement of the 60s and Gay marriage initiatives, though Freud was against homosexuality, are attributed to the Freudian philosophy.
Conflicts within the ideas of these philosophies and with the social organization of western culture once dominated by Christianity are playing out to this day. Marxism, conflict theory, critical race theory, technological control, governmental and corporate totalitarian control, breakdown and change in sexual mores on a national and even global scale are the issues of the modern era. We can trace them to the above five philosophers.
For a speaker on this or related topics, see - www.michaelbaglino.com/speaker/ contact me at - euroamerican22@gmail.com
Source:
Baglino, Michael J. 2023. From Gramsci to Freud: 7 anti Christian Philosophers Who Ruined America. New York: LT Publishers.
Dr. Michael J. Baglino, Ed. D. is a retired college professor, most recently an adjunct prof. in behavioral science at Palm Beach State College, Florida. He is a graduate of both Winona State University, MN and Florida International University, Miami. Michael is also a retired entertainer [singer/actor], performing primarily as a Frank Sinatra tribute artist under the name ‘Michael Matone’. A parishioner of St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church in Wellington, FL, Michael serves as a lector, EM, and 4th degree Knights of Columbus. He is a professional member of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists. The Baglino family, wife, children and grandchildren all live in South Florida.
He is the author of 5 books, most notably ‘From Gramsci to Freud’ and ‘The Dr. B. Reader on the Ologies’. In his books, Dr. Baglino presents a series of articles and vignettes on religion, psychology, politics and culture. He shows us that God is with us in our daily lives interweaving trials, travels, and decisions with Catholicism. Definitely not without humor, Michael presents a down to earth and Catholic perspective to so many of our contemporary issues. See www.michaelbaglino.com/speaker.
